Ranma 12: Journey of Discovery
by MuhiTatsu
Summary: Chapter 4! Ranma finally fights the bandit Zakaroth, and gains a new friend! 6/5: Chapter 4 edited with new content.
1. I'm fed up! Ranma decides to leave

Ranma 1/2: part 2  
Ranma Saotome was normally quite an easygoing person. Or at least, that's what most people in Nerima, district of Tokyo, thought. The events of the past two years had taken their toll on Ranma, and though nobody saw it, he hurt inside. He was tired of it, tired of rivals, fiances, Jusenkyo curses, the weekly Akane kidnapping, and above all else, the fact that almost everyone in the district hated him. At least, that's the impression he got.(Not a bad impression really.)  
  
Despite rumors to the contrary, and what almost everyone thought, Ranma wasn't stupid. He actually spent quite a bit of time thinking, whether it be in the air from Akane's mallet, waiting for Doctor Tofu, not paying attention in class, or simply watching the stars, which just happened to be one of his favorite pastimes. Stars didn't mock him, hurt him, get mad at him, or tease him. They were just there, for the wandering mind in need of comfort.  
  
Ranma actually had really started to think about the world around him until about a month ago. He had killed Saffron, king of the Phoenix's, and confessed his love for Akane. Not to mention had lost his only cure for his curse, after the whole wedding fiasco. Killing Saffron had made him truly lose his childhood innocence, even if he was evil, and about to kill Akane. Killing was killing, but Ranma had come to terms with it. What he couldn't come to terms with though, was everything else.  
  
Akane had acted as if the whole thing had never happened, continuing to practice anything-goes in the vain hope that she would be able to someday best Ranma, but Ranma was confident that without him around to give the proper training, he had nothing to worry about. He still got malleted, kicked or punched into orbit, but now it was only because he was trying to ignore the tomboy, rather than insult her. Obviously, he just couldn't win with her.  
  
Genma and Soun were mostly absent from his life. Whenever they would spout one of their crazy plans, Ranma was already out the door. While it seemed cowardly at first, Ranma just had to remind the two of the 'Saotome secret technique.'  
  
Happosai had actually decided to do a bit of traveling, saying it would diversify his tastes, meaning that he was merely hoping for different kinds of underwear. He had heard of another district in Tokyo, where there were plenty of girls. 'God help them.' Ranma thought to this.  
  
Ryoga was still getting lost, challenging Ranma to fights every chance he got, though it seemed like the malice had gone out of Ryoga, and he was merely trying to have some fun. Ranma actually did look forward to this, and hoped one day the two could be friends. It seemed Ryoga had somehow come to terms with his curse, relishing the time he got as P-chan. Ranma actually seemed to be fine with this now. All he had to do was picture Akane spilling some hot broth on him, then punching him through the roof. To accentuate this thought, or to remind himself, all he had to do was think of the phrase, "one of these days Ryoga, one of these days, POW!, to the moon!"  
  
The Kuno's were still as annoying as ever. Tatewaki was just an annoying shakesphere poet, Kodachi a witch, and the principal a deranged barber. Easy to get rid of temporarily, but just like a boomerang they always came back when you didn't want them to. Ranma secretly thought that Kuno and Kodachi were mentally insane, which would actually make sense.  
  
Ucchan's and the Nekohanten were still in business, although it was a friendly rivalry. The real rivalry came when the stores were closed. Shampoo was still trying to make some chinese amazon secret help her win Ranma over, often failing, Mousse was still nearsighted and making a fool of himself, and Cologne was still the same old bat who occassionally made Ranma's life a living hell. Ukyo used her charm to try and win Ranma, but he was undeterred. He wasn't sure that he loved her as a lover, but he knew he loved her as a sister.  
  
Ranma cherished all the time he could get by himself, thinking sometimes of how to do something, or get out of something.  
  
One January day, Ranma decided that he needed a lot more time to think about things. He needed to get away for a while.  
  
Which is where our story starts, with one Ranma Saotome, martial artist and accursed of Jusenkyo, knocking on Nabiki Tendo's door.  
******************************  
"Who is it?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"It's Ranma. I thought you might be interested in a business proposition. One that could save you a LOT of money."  
  
Nabiki opened her door. "I'm interested now. Come in."  
  
Ranma sat down on one of Nabiki's chairs, as Nabiki herself went into business mode. "Okay Saotome. What are you interested in?"  
  
"Information." he said coolly.  
  
"Really." Nabiki said. "What for?"  
  
"That has to do with what I'm going to offer you in exchange." Ranma smirked. "It also depends on if you have any contacts outside Nerima."  
  
"I do." Nabiki returned. "What kind of information are you looking for?"  
  
"Places or people that have to do with the supernatural, or are extraordinary in some way. Also, extraordinarily strong fighters would be good." he told her.  
  
"And what do I get in return?"  
  
Ranma steadied himself. "Nabiki, I've been thinking lately of leaving Nerima for a while. I'm getting tired of the stresses around here, and I've decided to take a training trip. Not only will I get away, but I'll also have the opportunity to see if There are any real challenges for Ranma Saotome anymore. I'd also like to have some students. So, in return Nabiki, I go out of the house for at least a year. Which means no having to repair the house, no having to deal with repair bills, no lawsuits, and one less mouth to feed."  
  
Nabiki's eyes were wide. "You know about all that? You've obviously been thinking more than I thought."  
  
Ranma chuckled darkly. "I've been thinking more than anyone thought. I'll finally be able to get some real world experience, and I don't care how far anyone chases me."  
  
Nabiki nodded. "Alright Ranma. I accept your deal. Now I'll finally be able to save up enough for college. Getting that sort of info shouldn't be too hard."  
  
"I'd also appreciate it if you could find me an escape route. I'm going to leave by night, just to be cautious." he explained.  
  
"I'll try. Ranma, why are you telling me of all people about this?" she asked.  
  
"Because at this point, you're the only one who can help me." he moved toward her window, opening it and about to leap.  
  
"Where are you going?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"To do something I should have done a long time ago. Thank you Nabiki-chan." he said gratefully.  
  
Ranma lept out the window, leaving a very puzzled Nabiki in his wake.  
***************************  
  
Ranma hadn't explained to Nabiki one crucial thing though. He was looking for supernatural places in the hope that he could cure his curse. He had almost come to terms with it, but he still had the vain hope that he could be cured. Not to mention the fact that he might be able to challenge these supernatural people if they were fighters. Really though, the reason Ranma thought of the trip was because he just wanted to see the world, what life was like outside of Nerima. There was one challenge he had to face before he left though....  
  
Ranma slowly approached Nerima's only graveyard. It was a small area, but relatively clean. A place in which the residents of Nerima were confident would satisfy the spirits of their loved ones. Kind of like the kind of cemetery in Charles' Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."  
  
Ranma had brought with him a tombstone for some reason. Choosing a relatively nice spot between two gravestones, he implanted the tombstone into the ground, making sure the stone held by melting the metal with his ki energy. With the stone firmly implanted, he began to emit a faint ray of ki from his finger, making several kanji symbols on the surface. Finished, he took out his hands, beginning to pray. After a few moments, he began to speak.  
  
"Greetings honored one. I might as well get straight to the point, sir, so forgive me if I'm blunt." he paused. "I'm sorry if I may have offended you, doing what I did. I only did it to protect what I thought was a loved one. I also did it because that is what a martial artist does, protect the ones who cannot protect themseleves. I am not asking for forgivness, but I do hope that the Kami will take mercy on you, perhaps resurrecting you as an individual who thinks a little more. I do hope I meet you again, so I can apologize to you in person. Sleep well mighty king. 'Til we meet again." Ranma finished.  
  
If one could read kanji, this symbols would have translated to this:  
  
SAFFRON  
  
KING OF THE PHOENIX TRIBE  
  
UNKNOWN-1996  
  
PROTECTOR OF HIS PEOPLE  
  
SPECTACULAR WARRIOR  
  
GOD OF MT. PHOENIX   
  
MADE A DIFFERENCE IN A YOUNG MAN'S LIFE  
  
Ranma slowly walked away. For miles around, the only sound that could be heard was the distinct howl of the wind. No one saw the single tear that dropped from the pigtailed boy's eye.  
******************************************  
The week before Ranma's training trip passed without much incident, other than the day he went out for supplies, afterwards giving Akane the excuse that he was in his girl form, shopping for lingere. Of course, he got malleted for that.  
  
Nabiki had been true to her word, and the day before the trip, she made sure to give him a full itinerary, with the closest of the people and places first on the list, and the ones farther away on the bottom.  
  
She also gave him a detailed escape route, for use at midnight. The route was nonconventional, but alright. 'I guess holding on to the car of a speeding train can't be too bad.' he thought. 'Compared to swimming.'  
  
He made sure to give his goodbyes to the appropriate people. Kasumi bid him farewell, making him a special bento for the trip. He gave her a rather tight hug, then went on his way. His mother wept a little, but was confident the trip was for the best, after seeing the inside of the Tendo dojo. He was given several high currency yen notes which he tried to refused, but Nodoka insisted, so he gave in.  
  
After about six hours of holding on to the back of the train, Ranma lept off in a wide part of the countryside, ,many, many miles from Tokyo, and his destination. Ranma was headed for Jubaan, another Tokyo district. It could have taken him only a few hours to get there from Nerima, but Ranma wanted to take no chances with the Nerima wrecking crew.  
  
Wandering through the various districts and the surrounding countryside, Ranma fell into what he felt would hopefully be his usual traveling routine. He put on weights and trained for about two hours at his very best. While moving, he would run while on some sort of small path, such as a fence, making sure to keep his heavy pack on. This improved balance, speed, and strength. He periodically lept onto small poles, or others of the like to keep agility up. He of course stopped to eat every once in a while, and made camp as night fell. Mostly though, it was traveling and training. The traveling actually seemed to do the training on it's own, however, and this afforded Ranma plenty of time to think, which he cherished.  
  
It actually was more of a challenge then his training at present, because he wanted his time to think to be used to try and solve some of his problems back home. He knew that he would have to probably have to go back to Nerima eventually, and he would have to be ready when he did.  
  
Two weeks later, he reached his destination. He took out the itinerary, making sure this was the place. He wasn't Ryoga, but still..  
  
He checked the paper, and sure enough, there it was.   
  
Juuban, District of Tokyo. Known for periodic demon sightings, claims of magic, and the rumored Pretty Magical Sailor Senshi.  
  
It looked to be an interesting beginning.  
A/N: So how did you like it? Anyone who flames me is subject to Ranma's wrath. Yes, this is a crossover with Sailor Moon(along with several others) but thankfully, Ranma will not be aided by magic in Youma fights, nor will he become a Senshi.  
  
Ranma: Hi! Ranma here. On the next episode, I finally come to Juuban for the first time, hoping to find the Sailor Senshi. But before I can count on their help, I have to defeat all of the Senshi myself! Next time on Spiritual journey:  
  
Magical pretty soldiers of the stars!  
Ranma is challenged by the Sailor Senshi. 


	2. Solar Soldiers! Ranma meets the Sailor S...

Chapter 2:  
Magical Sailors of the Stars!  
Ranma fights the Sailor Scouts.  
Ranma wandered through the streets of Juuban, looking for a clue to any sort  
of magic. After falling into the Nyaniichuan, Ranma had noticed in several  
fights that he could both detect and counter magic. Casting magic though, he  
wasn't so sure about, as he had never found any incantations to try.  
However, he had not detected any magic cast in Juuban in the week he had  
been there.  
  
He had decided to stay in a local motel, one which was extremely cheap,(he  
was on a budget.) but at least met average health conditions. All he really  
needed was a room to stay in until he could find the Sailor Senshi.  
  
Apparently, the appearances of the Sailor Soldiers went in cycles. Usually  
it was about every three days in which a youma attacked and the Senshi  
defeated it with an attack that was more about speaking cheesy lines than it  
was about battle. After the originator of the youma's had been defeated, a  
new one could pop up in anywhere from a month to a year.  
  
No one had any idea of who the girls could possibly be, although both young  
boys and men frequently had pinups of them that were sold throughout Japan.  
The pinups were made in pretty much every style of drawing, from paintings  
to computer models which even went so far as to depict the scouts naked.  
(Their skirts left little to the imagination.)  
  
The government had tried to ID the elusive Senshi, in hopes of studying  
their magic powers. This was made Impossible by the fact that anyone who  
even got a good look at the girls only saw vague details that could not give  
any vital information. Therefore, the senshi were made into anything the  
artist wanted which matched the description on their vague details. This led  
to drawings which ranged from ugly to downright weird.  
  
Aside from a week of no-shows by the Sailor Soldiers, Ranma settled into a  
comfortable routine. He practiced martial arts for three hours every  
morning, and afterward had breakfast. After breakfast, he would scout around  
the district for two hours, running and leaping from fence to fence, going  
as fast and high as he possibly could for some sign of a demon, or a couple  
of ridiculously dressed girls.  
  
He would then go to the local dojo, hoping to learn new techniques to  
incorporate into his Anything-goes style of martial arts. At the same time,  
he also sort of earned a part time job, by volunteering to help the local  
Kenpo instructor as an assistant. It was alright, but Ranma noticed that the  
man's form was awfully flawed. He kept his mouth shut though. His insults  
were his own, and he wasn't too far away from Nerima. His signiature style  
would by recognized immediately.  
  
"Nabiki planned this out well." He thought. "They would never suspect that  
I'm only a few kilometers away."  
  
After helping out at the dojo, it would be time for lunch and then some more  
scouting. Before dinner he would meditate, and then after that he would have  
a 'thinking' session, in which he trained his logic and reasoning by  
thinking up solutions to problems he had had in the past. For example, he  
could have used Kuno's own faulty logic against him, merely by speaking in  
Kuno's own 'tongue', and fighting in a battle of wits. That probably would  
have been more effective than diving into a pool and coming out as a girl.  
Of course, Ranma reasoned that Kuno didn't really have any logic at all.  
  
He would then go to the Juuban public library, seeing it a challenge to  
study to make sure he could go back to school and find a way to support  
himself. Although it was boring at first, Ranma quickly picked up subjects  
he had had trouble with in school, merely by willing himself to the  
challenge. He saw every subject as a challenge that he had to face, and if  
he went out of it, it would be like running out as a coward. He occasionally  
got help, and was soon deeply immersed in the tomes he brought back to the  
room.  
  
History had to be his favorite subject. The many battles he had fought in  
Nerima were actually quite similar to the fights waged by samurai, or by  
armies, and the mythology that went with them was quite similar to the  
craziness present in Nerima.  
  
Ranma willed himself never to give up, and practiced until he got an answer  
perfect. No matter how many times he failed, in the end Ranma would always  
try, no matter how foreign the concept seemed. Then he would go back to his  
room, falling into a blissful sleep upon the hard mattress.  
  
In his spare time, Ranma read literary classics from America, which were  
supposed to be centered around many different issues of the human psyche, in  
hopes of better understanding himself and the people he knew. Lord of the  
flies, A tale of two cities, To kill a mockingbird, and Hamlet were all  
among the most thought provoking, and frustrating stories he had read. Like  
school subjects however, he challenged himself to do a bit of extra  
research, finding out the origins behind the books. When he had, it was a  
lot easier, and he felt that he enjoyed the books immensely.  
  
Of course, he didn't spend all of his time reading. Once in a while, he  
would go to the video arcade, racking up immensely high scores on the  
punching/kicking games, as well as the more electronic ones, such as Marvel  
Vs. Capcom 2. He won a lot of money on a challenge fight from the local game  
guru, simply by practicing the game with one character for an hour or so.  
  
He supposed the ease in which he played the game was simply because he  
thought like a martial artist in the games as well as in real life. Every  
attack could be countered, parried, blocked, or dodged, and Ranma quickly  
took that strategy to heart. Of course, it helped that the so-called Hyper  
combos were very similar to the Kachu Tenshin Amurigenken.  
  
A week had gone by. The day finally arrived when Ranma Saotome would meet  
the Sailor Senshi.   
  
However, it was not a happy meeting...  
************************  
MizunoAmi, AKA Sailor Mercury had sighed quietly. Another Demon had been picked up  
on her Mercury computer. It was probably just a matter of time, but she had  
been hoping the peace would have lasted longer.  
  
She quickly picked up the laptop and began to contact the others. However,  
if she had paid a little more attention to the monitor, she would have  
noticed that the demon wasn't the only high energy source in the area...  
Ranma was scouting once again, hopping from fence to fence with his pack  
firmly strapped to his shoulders. This got him stares from the people of  
Jubaan, but many of them were allayed when a young woman studied him for a  
moment, saying to the people, "He's from Nerima." Which seemed to explain  
everything. The townspeople went back to their duties, everything explained.  
The motto in Tokyo was, "If it's weird, it must come from Nerima."  
  
Just then, an explosion suddenly occurred which knocked Ranma clear off of  
the fence. "This could be just what I've been waiting for!" Ranma said  
excitedly. He then began to run towards the explosion at top speed, causing a  
quite heavy gust of wind.  
  
Ranma made it to the explosion in time to see a demon attacking several  
buildings, firing energy beams in random directions. It looked like a  
typical demon from western mythology, with blood red skin, sharp horns  
protruding from it¹s top, little goat legs, and a well muscled torso.  
  
"First thing I gotta do is get it's attention." Ranma thought. "Hey, Horn  
butt!" he yelled to the demon. "You'd better beat it before I make whatever  
is left of your heart stops!"  
  
The demon smirked. "Oh, really? And who might you be? You aren¹t those girls  
I was told to steal energy from, but I suppose you¹ll do."  
  
"I'm Ranma Saotome, practitioner of the school of Anything-Goes martial  
arts. And for your information, no one steals my energy!"  
  
Dispensing with the psychological assaults, both the demon and Ranma quickly  
sprung into action. The Demon attacked with a burst of yellow energy from  
it¹s pitchfork, which Ranma dodged by jumping. He then quickly moved to kick  
the demon in the chest, knocking the wind out of it and causing the demon to  
drop the pitchfork.  
  
"No use wasting time."Ranma thought. He quickly picked up the demon¹s  
weapon, and using all of his speed, impaled it.  
  
"You..have..much..more energy than I gave you credit for." The demon  
coughed out. Then, with a final shudder, it died and dissolved into ashes.  
  
"I didn't want to have to do that." Ranma shuddered. "But it would have died  
soon anyway. At least this will probably put me on good terms with the  
Senshi."  
  
Just then, a voice boomed out "STOP RIGHT THERE!"  
  
Standing behind Ranma was a slim, blonde girl who had her hair braided into  
what looked like small dumplings. On the two braids were twin rubies, and in  
the center was a golden tiara with another jewel in it's center. The girl  
was wearing a sailor fuku outfit, with a sea blue skirt and flame red boots.  
  
The girl continued, saying, "I will not allow the crimes you have committed  
go unpunished."  
  
Ranma raised his eyebrows questioningly.  
  
"You have committed property damage and tried to hurt many innocent people.  
I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice, and in the name of the moon, and all  
of the Solar system, we the Sailor scouts shall punish you!" she finished.  
  
"What are you talking about? I defeated the demon already, I just wanted to  
ask you girls for help!" Ranma said exasperated.  
  
"Yeah right, like we¹d believe that a normal human could defeat a demon!²"Hino Rei, AKA Sailor Mars said.  
  
"I am not a normal human. I'm Ranma Saotome, one of the best martial artists  
in Japan, and In case you didn¹t notice, I don't look anything like a  
demon!" he cried.  
  
"For all we know you could be a shapeshifter!" Sailor Jupiter reasoned.  
  
"Oh for the love of..." Ranma moaned.  
  
"Enough talk! VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!"  
  
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"  
  
"MARS FIRE IGNITE!"  
  
"MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!"  
  
The four attacks came quickly at Ranma, but he was ready for them. He  
allowed the fire and plant to come at him both at the same time. He lept  
away just as the two attacks were about to hit, and the two crashed into  
each other, causing the attacks to disperse.  
  
The chain followed him around, and he used it to pop some of the bubbles  
that came up, also dispersing the attacks.  
  
"Listen, I don't wanna fight you!" Ranma pleaded.  
  
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"  
  
The tiara came quickly at Ranma, and he just barely dodged it. "Listen, will  
ya? I just want your help!"  
  
"For what?" Mars bellowed.  
  
"For the magic curse that¹s been placed upon me! I turn into a girl whenever  
I get splashed with cold water! I came to you because I thought your magic  
could help me!" he tried to explain.  
  
Venus laughed. "That's the lamest excuse for a coward demon I¹ve ever heard!  
VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!"  
  
"COWARD?! I'll show you!" Ranma bellowed. "At least I'll probably get a decent fight  
out of this." He thought.  
  
Ranma dodged the beam, dropping Venus to the ground with a sweep kick. He  
then took Sailor Moon's hand and used both arms to toss her with all of his  
strength into a brick wall. Next, he did a back flip that made him land  
right behind Mercury. This allowed him to touch all of her pressure points.  
Mercury lie unmoving, but fine.  
  
"That takes care of the support troops. Now to fight the real warriors." He  
mumbled. Ranma could tell, just from their movements that Mars and Jupiter  
were the only real martial artists of the group.  
  
Mars aimed a punch at him, which he quickly ducked and followed through with  
an uppercut. He continued with a blow to the noggin which made Mars lie  
unconscious.  
  
"You JERK!" Jupiter shouted. She aimed a crescent kick his back, which he  
dodged and then proceeded to grab her leg and throw her on to the pavement.  
She cried out in surprise, rather than pain, and quickly slid out of his  
grasp. She fired a ball of lighting, shouting "JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!"  
  
Ranma knew he couldn¹t dodge the attack in time. So he prepared one of his  
own. "MOKO TAKABISHA!" he bellowed, and a yellow ball of ki sprang from his  
hands.   
  
The impact of magic and ki had a dangerous effect, causing a huge explosion,  
which knocked Sailor Jupiter into a building and rendered her unconscious.  
Ranma stood his ground however, and sighed when the attack had faded into  
nothingness.  
  
"Here I was, hoping they would have been more of a challenge. What a waste  
of a day!"  
  
While the scouts were still unconscious, he took out a stamp and a pen, as  
well as a scroll, and began to write. He soon finished, and put the paper in  
the hands of Mercury. She looked the most reasonable, and would be the best  
to give this to.  
  
Ranma sighed again. He then put his things away, heading for the motel room,  
and the library, ready to leave Jubaan. He leapt off, into the blue sky for  
a new adventure.  
*******************************  
The Sailor scouts were for once, humbled.  
  
Luna had rushed to the scene, and had quickly made the scouts conscious  
again. The scouts became confused, as they were sure that the demon would  
have had no qualms in killing them. They explained the story of how they  
were beaten easily, making no sign in hiding their fear. When they mentioned  
his name howeverŠ  
  
"RANMA SAOTOME! GIRLS! DID YOU KNOW WHO YOU JUST FOUGHT?"  
  
"Erm, no." Usagi answered. "But he sure does hit hard!"  
  
"He is the best martial artist in all of Japan! He killed Saffron, the evil  
phoenix god! No wonder you lost so easily!" she half explained.  
  
All the scouts could do was gape openly. They had willingly fought an  
innocent, and he had only tried to defend himself. The shame!  
  
It was even worse though, when Ami found his letter. Ranma had written an  
angry letter which told them that he was only looking to cure his curse,  
take on challenges and teach students. He was trying to help them, and they  
had refused. He had ended by saying that if he ever came back to Juuban they  
could take him up on the offer, and he hoped they would become better  
fighters by then.  
  
And for the first time after a fight, the Sailor Senshi felt remorse for  
what they had done.  
  
"He was so cute too!" Minako moaned.  
***********************************  
"Let's see what¹s on the itinerary next." Ranma said a bit more cheerfully.  
He took out the list and looked quickly. "I hope this one is a bit more  
fulfilling."  
  
The list read: A mysterious thief has gone all over Japan, stealing money  
and countless artifacts, and has also been in countless bar fights. He  
continues to elude the police, and they have yet to get even a picture of  
him. All I have to go by is that he's black haired, and goes by the name  
Zakaroth.  
  
END of part 2  
  
NEXT EPISODE:  
Hi! Ranma here. On the next episode, I run into Zakaroth, a powerful martial  
artist thief who seems to not only be as strong as me, but also has the  
powers of a dragon on his side! Then there's this white haired guy who seems  
to know almost everything there is about Zakaroth! What's going on?  
  
Next time on Ranma 1/2: spiritual journey, Two sides of the same coin! Enter  
the Grey Dragon. 


	3. Bar fights and philosophy

Chapter 3  
Master Thief and barfighter!  
Ranma Searches for Zakaroth.  
  
Disclaimer: Oops! Forgot to add this before. Ranma 1/2 and all of it's characters belong to the wonderful woman who created them, Rumiko Takashi. Sailor Moon and all of its characters belong to, well, I don't know their name but it belongs to them. Zakaroth and Gray dragon belong to me.  
A few days later, under his normal training routine, Ranma had come to Hiroshima. According to his itinerary, a powerful martial artist named Zakaroth had been causing trouble around the place, getting into bar fights and stealing money and treasures from the local populace. Zakaroth was very good at stealth, and the only distinguishing marks the police were able to obtain, were that he had hair the color of night, around five foot nine, and what he claimed to be his name. Of course, it helped that after every crime he commited, the sentence 'Zakaroth wuz here' was always written on at least one area.  
  
Some people claimed that he had claws and fangs, like those of a dragon itself. This, however, didn't tangle with his police record. Most of the time, the police were simply too late, Zakaroth staying one step ahead of them to flee. When he did tangle with the police, they weren't even sure it was him. Usually it was just a figure in a dark cloak, but logic ruled that Zakaroth was the culprit. Zakaroth manged to outfight the police every time, fast enough that no one could ever get a good look at him. He never killed or fatally wounded anyone, but he thrived on destruction, using what people claimed was a new type of invisible flame thrower or rocket launcher to send what appeared to be balls of fire out of his hands, causing cars to explode and empty buildings to collapse. Ranma knew better however.  
  
Once before, in his fight with Saffron had he encountered such an attack. Zakaroth probably was using fireballs to his advantage, and he certainly couldn't rule claws or fangs out either. Ranma had gathered this iformation by asking around, and by the sound of it, Zakaroth sounded like one of Saffron's relatives. One god was enough, wasn't it? Ranma hoped so. Saffron could throw fire the size of a house though, and it sounded as though Zakaroth wasn't nearly as strong as Saffron was.  
  
So he had decided to look for a bar which the thief hadn't roughed up yet. It turned out there was only one left, called the Hiccuping Boozehound. It was, quite literally, a dump, but at least he might be able to get some info. He walked up to the counter and sat on a barstool.  
  
The bartender was unkempt, with only a fringe of reddish hair covering his scalp. He wore a patch over his left eye, wearing a ruffled tunic and a dirty white apron, stained by wear and tear.  
  
"What'll it be kid?" he sneered.  
  
"Yebitsu please." Ranma stared back at the other man.  
  
Ranma put a couple of yen coins on the counter, and the barman prouduced a single can of the beer. Ranma popped the tab and began to drink, expecting a very unhygenic blend, but to his surprise, it tasted as fresh as the day it was brewed.  
  
"Thanks." he told the bartender. "Listen. Barman. I'm looking for some information."  
  
" 'Bout what kid?" the barman sneered again.  
  
"I'm looking for a guy. He frequents bars around this area, and I'm hoping to challenge him to a fight. Name's Zakaroth."  
  
At this, the whole bar went dead silent. What seemed to be the barman's assistant didn't notice that the drink he was filling continued to overflow, unabated. Some people, even after just a few moments began to sob, and some went even as far as to curse Ranma out violently.  
  
A tough stood up from the counter, a punk with a bleached mop top wearing italian sunglasses. "Damn you kid! Now you've gone and jinxed us! What do you say everyone? Let's get him for inviting Zakaroth right here!" he said while taking out a heavy looking chain.  
  
He was obviously the leader of a gang, the members of which stood up with the intent of murdering the boy. Unknown to Ranma, the local bars had become very superstitious of Zakaroth, and had come up with several taboos regarding him, chief of which was to never mention his name in a bar. They believed that the bar in which his name was spoken was the next to have it's inhabitants 'roughed'. A feared warrior indeed.  
  
The thugs, however, had clearly not heard of Ranma's reputation. He began to dodge and weave the strikes of the bar patrons, clearly annoyed. "Listen, I didn't come here for trouble. All I want is to bring Zakaroth to justice!" he said through his third, fourth, fifth and sixth chain dodges.  
  
"We're putting you outta you're own misery kid!" the tough panted. "Zakaroth wouldn't go easy on you like we are!" he panted.  
  
"I'm the one taking it easy!" Ranma taunted. "This is barely even a workout!"  
  
Soon, more bar patrons began to join the fight, wielding everything from liquor bottles to other people. It became harder and harder for Ranma to dodge everything at once, sometimes getting lucky when two or more ruffians hit each other, but there were a lot more of them than him. He got distracted when he noticed a cloaked stranger enter the bar, causing him to be caught unawares by a jagged glass wine bottle in the back.  
  
Ranma screamed out in pain, expecting this to be the end from his own carelessness. Soon, the other ruffians would take advantage of his pain, and sealing his doom. However, to his surprise, the cloaked figure then lept high into the air, coming down upon the center of the makeshift circle around Ranma, using his foot strength to cause a small earth quake. The thugs closest to Ranma were swept off their feet, others just buckled, which allowed Ranma a moment to regain his footing, and continue the attack anew.  
  
"Thanks." he told the cloaked person. "I owe you one."  
  
"Never mind that now." the cloak snapped. "Here they come again!"  
  
"I've got an idea of how to get rid of these guys now, but you'll have to stay close!" Ranma told the person. "Hold them off for a little bit while I start the attack."  
  
"Fine. I hope you know what you're doing. I'd hate to have to drag such a fine corpse out of a seedy bar." the cloak said, a mischievious smile appearing, unnoticed by Ranma.  
  
"All right you punks, time to teach you a lesson!" Ranma snarled. Starting to power up, he noticed the cloaked man (he knew it was a man now, by the tone of voice he conveyed.) taking out the thugs with relative ease, acting as if it was a big joke, doing things like tying the leader up with his own chain, or jumping around the circle throwing random punches. 'Musn't get distracted!' he thought.  
  
Ranma then unleashed a veritable whirlwind. "HIRYUU SHOTEN HAAA!!" he yelled fiercely. The toughs were sucked into the whirlwind, and the ensuing explosion of ki caused a crater to form in the bar.  
  
The thugs all crash landed back onto the bar floor. Ranma and the cloaked fighter however, were not so lucky, arriving two miles west in a large forest. Unfortunately, the wound and the huge amount of ki energy he expended cause Ranma to black out. The last he thing he could remember was the visage of the black cloaked fighter standing over him, about to drop the mask...  
**********************************  
Ranma awoke to night, wrapped a large sleeping bag that he remembered to be the one from his own pack. He was very surprised when he discovered a fire roaring peacefully almost right next to him, and a pot of soup roasting on the hearth, not to mention the fact that his wound from the fight had been bandaged up.  
  
Wondering who could possibly have helped him all the way out in Hiroshima, well except maybe Ryoga.('No wait' Ranma thought, 'Ryoga is a terrible cook. No way he could make soup that smells that good.) Ranma tried to study his surroundings, but was unsuccessful, as mostly darkness surrounded him.  
  
Almost immediately, rustling came from the nearby woods. "Who's there?" Ranma said challengingly. The rustling stopped, and the form of a smiling young man came out. "I was wondering when you would wake up, sleepyhead." he grinned.  
  
The young man looked to be about Ranma's age. He was fairly tall and well built, with hair the color of fresh snow. He wore a gray gi, with a black belt that tied together his black pants. He had the look of a martial artist about him, but it was strange to see a pair of dark brown sandals on his feet. Martial artists didn't really wear those kinds of things. Proved to be a big disadvantage.  
  
What Ranma was most surprised to notice, which he gasped at, was a sight he had only seen once before from Kasumi. The young man's ocean blue eyes were full of warmth, inviting. The tension he had felt upon waking up had gone away, and had been replaced with relief.  
  
"Uh, yeah." he finally responded. "Pardon me for asking, but, were you that cloaked guy who saved me in the bar?"  
  
"No." he responded. "The guy who saved you was... an friend of mine. His name is Zakaroth."  
  
Ranma's eyes opened in surprise. "Zakaroth saved me? But he's supposed to be a bad guy!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, you might think what he has done would have been bad, having been raised in a society that tends to look at things that way." the young man answered.  
  
"What do you mean, mister, uh.."  
  
"Call me Gray." Gray paused. "What I mean is that if you tend to look at all of the variables, not just the immediately obvious ones, what Zakaroth does really isn't so bad." he held up a hand to silence Ranma, before he could protest. "He may get into bar fights, but usually the patrons of the bars he goes to are criminals themselves. He actually aids the police unknowingly. And he may steal, but have you checked exactly what he has stolen?"  
  
"Yeah, a lot of money and things that belong to museums." Ranma tried to reason.  
  
Gray shook his head. "Yes, but if you check the records, you'll notice that Gray only steals money from people who have too much already. I happen to know that he donates to chairities under a false name."  
  
Ranma gaped. "But what about the stuff from the museums? The ancient artifacts..."  
  
"Ranma think about it this way. Archaeologists, in a way, steal those artifacts first themselves. They take it from the civilizations that belonged to it. The civilization may be dead Ranma, but it's ancestors do live on. Do the archaeologists ask the permission of the decendants of the people? No." Gray said harshly. "Do they ask the people themselves? No. Yet, the historians, archaeologists, and others believe it is right. Because they make a discovery, they are put in the spotlight. They get credit for something that someone else made. Yet, society believes it to be right. What do you think?"  
  
Ranma began to think about this. "I will see you in the morning, Mr...?" Gray asked, beginning to get out a sleeping bag of his own.  
  
"It's Ranma Saotome. And I just want to say, I'm very pleased to meet you Gray. You've given me a lot to think about."  
  
"I am pleased to meet you as well Ranma. You are the first friend I have ever had in ten years. Now get some rest, you still need to recover from your injury." he said, leaving Ranma.  
  
So, for the first time in days, Ranma once again used his heart to guide him, and ironically, hoped that wherever he was, Zakaroth was safe, and wondering why Gray hadn't had a friend in such a long period of time...  
Next Episode: Hey everyone! Ranma here. On the next episode, I finally get to meet the powerful Zakaroth, and learn that sometimes having an ego like mine doesn't always win a fight. Plus, Gray begins to open up, and eventually I learn his biggest secret. Next time,   
  
Two sides of the same coin!  
Gray and Zakaroth's true relationship. 


	4. Two sides of the same coin! Gray and Zak...

Chapter 4  
  
The next morning, Ranma woke up to a healed wound, and a lightly snoring Gray who was still in a red sleeping bag. He hesitantly got up, and began to study his surroundings.  
  
It was a clearing in the middle of a very dense forest, located at the end of one river and the beginning of another, the only thing seperating them was a large pool in the middle. They had camped in an area close to the spring, with the remains of a fire close to their sleeping bags, and some now cold soup still over a spit.  
  
Gray then began to open his eyes, and attempted a sleepy smile. "G'morning Ranma." he yawned. To Ranma's great amusement, Gray's hair had some serious problems, and was sticking out at odd angles. Gray pulled out a thermos and began to sleepily chug away at some substance that looked to be black. Gray finished chugging, wiped his mouth with one hand, and let out a belch, at which Ranma snorted.  
  
"Are you always this presentable this early in the morning?" he grinned.  
  
"Usually." Gray said, with a grin of his own. "But after a few minutes, I can usually become somewhat presentable."  
  
Gray took off his clothes and lept into the pool. "Would you like to bathe with me this morning? The water's nice at this time of day" he asked.  
  
"Is the water cold?" Ranma asked nervously.  
  
Gray laughed. "No. It's plenty warm, not cold at all."  
  
"Alright then, sure. Only because I want to see you find a way to get rid of that bed head."   
  
"Like you've never had this before, I take it?" Gray said mock indignantly.  
  
Ranma smiled wanly. "Okay. I have. You happy?"  
  
Gray returned the smile. "Of course." he lept out of the pool just as Ranma lept in, and threw a projectile that only Ranma could have caught. "Here's your towel!"  
  
Luckily, Gray had been right and the pool was lukewarm. Otherwise, there would have been one white-haired enigma with a nosebleed and a quite busty redhead in the same pool. "I thought you were gonna make yourself 'presentable' Gray! What's the holdup?" Ranma shouted over the pool.  
  
"Just have to get my bath stuff!" Gray said as he looked through his own pack. "There! Okay Ranma, look out!"  
  
Gray cannonballed into the pool with a forest green towel around his waist, splashing the rest of the surrounding area, and Ranma as well. Rather than being upset, Ranma was only faintly amused at the other boy's antics.  
  
To his great surprise, Gray began to wash himself with his soap at a pace that no ordinary human could match, moving in a similar way to the Chesnut fist technique. 'He might be a martial artist!' Ranma thought happily. 'Another opponent to test my skills against!'  
  
When Gray had finished washing his hair, Ranma asked, "Hey Gray, what style do you practice?"  
  
"Style?" Gray repeated faintly.  
  
"I mean, what style of the martial arts do you practice?" Ranma asked again.  
  
"I don't practice the martial arts Ranma. I'd like to learn someday though." Gray replied.  
  
To say Ranma was shocked was an understatement. "Well then how are you so fast?" Ranma pressed on.   
  
"I run a lot." Gray answered dismissively. " and when I run I use my arms."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Ooookaaay." He then got a hold of his senses, remembering what he had come to do. "Gray, I wanna ask you if you can do something for me."  
  
"Like what?" Gray asked while taking a bar of soap and rubbing it against his arm.  
  
"Well, you seem to know Zakaroth pretty well, judging from what you told me last night. Do you think you could set up a challenge fight between he and I?" Ranma requested.  
  
Gray raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to fight with Zakaroth? He did save your life."  
  
"I know, but you see, one of the main reasons I'm on this training trip is to get stronger by testing my skill. It seems like Zakaroth could be what I'm looking for."  
  
"And what would that be?" Gray asked.  
  
"A worthy opponent. Either that, or a sparring partner. You wouldn't beleive how hard it is to train without one." Ranma sniffed disdainfully. " The last being that was able to truly test me is no longer here. I need a challenge." Ranma replied. "I also want to see if anyone would be willing to teach me any new techniques."  
  
"Hmmm. Well, what are the other reasons for this trip of yours? I've been traveling for ten years, and the only reason I've got is that I was banished from my home." Gray said.  
  
Ranma looked at Gray with pity, and replied, "Well, at first it was because I was looking for students and a desire to pass on my style of martial arts. Also because I needed some time to think. But now that I think about it..." he sighed, "something like that really needs to be confined to one solitary area, were people can come and go as they wish. Either that, or I just need to focus on one student."  
  
"After hearing about Zakaroth, I thought that it should be my duty as a martial artist to bring him to justice. After getting the real story on him though, I'm not so sure I should try to turn him in. I'm just... confused now." Ranma sighed.  
  
Gray seemed to contemplate this for a few moments, putting his hand up to his chin. Finally, he said, "Well, why not just do what you martial artists are supposed to do?"  
  
"And what would that be?" Ranma asked dully.  
  
"Protect those who cannot protect themselves. Be a warrior of justice!" Gray shouted excitedly.  
  
Something seemed to click inside Ranma. "That's it! That's why I've never felt satisfied back in Nerima! I had forgotten what that truly means. But after last night," he glanced meaningfully at Gray, "I think I've remembered."  
  
"You lived in Nerima?" Gray asked.  
  
"Yeah. It's a long story Gray, but when I would fight there, it was only for self-defense, or for a challenge. Lately though, that hasn't been satisfying, and I couldn't figure out why, but now I have." Ranma paused. "I think you've hit the nail on the head!"  
  
Gray smiled. "Well, I think I might be able to help you after all. I can arrange a fight between you and Zakaroth. However," he said at Ranma's excited look. "In return, I wish to be you're first student." Gray grinned widely.  
  
"That would be great!" Ranma said excitedly. "You've got potential, and that was only when I saw you bathe!"  
  
"I do?" Gray asked.  
  
"Sure! C'mon, let's start!" Ranma lept out of the pool, and hurriedly began to put a pair of silk pants on.   
  
"You mean now?!" Gray asked, surprised.   
  
"YES! I've been waiting too long for this! I've got to guage your potential first though." Ranma said while putting on a red chinese shirt. "How long until I get to fight Zakaroth?" he changed the subject through a mouthful of shirt.  
  
"About two weeks!" Gray replied.  
  
"Perfect! Just enough time to teach you all of the basic forms!" Ranma smiled manically. "Hurry up! We don't have all day you know!" he shouted impatiently.  
  
Gray grumbled quite a bit, but was soon distracted when Ranma began to guage his potential.  
  
First, was the speed test. Gray lead Ranma to a large clearing in which they could run. In order for Gray to do well on the speed test, he had to keep up with Ranma ten out of twenty laps on the track. To Ranma's surprise, Gray kept up for fourteen whole laps, then began to swag. Gray seemed to have though he had done something wrong, but Ranma praised him wholeheartedly.  
  
The strength test was conducted on two gigantic boulders. Ranma went first and almost destroyed the thing whole, having to use another light tap to destroy it all. Then Gray went and before hitting it, he looked all over it's surface. Finally, he punched with all of his might and destroyed the boulder instantly. Obviously, Gray had done well on that test.  
  
Next was Endurance. Ranma tested Gray in this area by hitting him with a minimum of thirty blows, and depending on how Gray looked and sounded, would guage his performance. After about twenty five blows, Gray began to tire and as the final blows struck, he collapsed. After waking up, Ranma commented that while Gray still needed work in endurance, he did well to have withstood Thirty of Ranma's best strikes. Or at least that's what he told Gray. To be honest though, the strikes were only at about half of Ranma's best strength. He wasn't sure Gray could take any more.  
  
Finally, they began Agility. Ranma had Gray leap from various trees in the forest, from one to another using only his feet. Gray did well until he lept onto a branch that was clearly very old, landing on top of Ranma in the process.  
  
"My aching muscles!" Gray whined. "So, how did I do Ranma?" he said abruptly.  
  
Ranma smiled. "Believe me when I say this: you are probably the best student I could have gotten way out here."  
  
Gray beamed with pride. "Really? You mean it?"  
  
"I do. You seem to excel in the basic fundamentals of the martial arts. If you knew the forms and we had just a regular fight, then I would have quite a bit of a challenge." Ranma said.  
  
"Well, gee, thanks! So we start the real training tomorrow?" Gray asked.  
  
"Yes." Ranma turned away for a second, to work up a bit of courage. "Listen, Gray, I don't mean to pry, but how did you get so good?....Gray?"  
  
But Gray had fallen fast asleep. "Poor guy must be exhausted." Ranma thought.  
  
He lifted Gray up and into his sleeping bag, taking his form and covering it up. Ranma then went off to catch some fish, not having had any dinner or lunch, and wanting to preserve his rations.  
  
He could ask Gray tomorrow, when they trained. 'Then again,' he thought 'Maybe he just doesn't wanna talk about it. I mean, I'm keeping a secret from him too.'  
  
Ranma decided that Gray could tell him if he wanted to. He sure wasn't willing to let go of his first male friend, and it seemed that Gray didn't want to either, so he was willing to let sleeping Dragons lie. Er, purely figuratively of course, heh heh...  
  
***************************  
  
In the two weeks that followed, Ranma and Gray began to feel more at ease with each other than they had ever felt living with family members. Gray told Ranma that his own family, in fact, carried out his banishment from home. When Ranma asked why he was banished, Gray ignored him, so Ranma let another one of Gray's secrets be.  
  
Ranma would teach Gray at an exceptional pace, starting with 20 mile jogs and ending with one thousand perfect push ups. Gray often had to slow down during these intense sessions, but he soon got the hang of it. Unfortunately, whatever Gray could do was made impossible again when Ranma upped the value even more. Gray often went off into the woulds to curse a bloody streak when he heard the newest amount of torture he was meant to endure, Ranma laughing all the while.  
  
As far as the basic forms went though, Gray did quite well. Even though he wasn't quite as skilled in areas of the body as Ranma, he definentley had him beat in the mind. Gray had a huge memory, and would often tell Ranma some random little fact, about anything really. When Ranma asked why he did this so often, Gray replied, "For shits and giggles." he would chuckle. As a result, the basics came naturally, and Gray was at the brown belt level of Karate within five days.  
  
When he chose to show it, Gray had a very wierd, yet funny sense of humor. He would talk in silly voices from cartoons, appear to recite monologues while making wild motions and put on acts about just anything, including pretending that the world was flat.  
  
"You see Ranma," he said in an englishman voice, "The reason Columbus was able to sail over the edge of the world was because the bottom is like a magnet. He was upside down when he thought he was right side. He would have discovered the truth if he had merely thrown one of his men overboard." then he dissolved into giggles.  
  
Most importantly though, for Ranma, was that Gray was a guy he could talk to about... well, guy stuff, regaling Gray with an edited version of the past two years, minus the Jusenkyo curses. Gray thought his stories were hilarious, which irked Ranma to no end, but Gray was still a good audience, and seemed to be very impressed with his fighting record. It was Gray's turn to hunt and cook, and Ranma was telling Gray about his first night at the Tendo Dojo.  
  
"So Akane comes and hits me even though it was an honest mistake." he said to Gray over a mouthful of dinner. "And she never even gives me a chance to explain myself. Sure we have our moments, but it's just... hard, you know?"  
  
Gray, who had listened to this, frowned and furrowed his chin. "I think that in some ways you're right Ranma. Akane does need to find a way to get rid of her anger, and she needs to be able to think things through more logically. However," he said to a now triumphant looking Ranma. "That doesn't give you an excuse to insult her. Have you ever tried being nice to her for a long period of time?"  
  
Ranma thought this through. "Well... no." he answered with a sigh. "It's just... I get so defensive sometimes, and it's awfully hard with so many people watching you. Especially when you haven't really had much of a home life like me, and haven't really thought about girls that often, and you hear about things at school like sex, expecting the unexpected."  
  
"Ranma, in order to make a relationship work, you have to trust each other. If you ever get into a real relationship, and you aren't sure were it's going, then the best thing to do is just talk. You and Akane seem to mostly just have problems because of that and because of mixed signals." Gray held up a hand "I'll admit, the rivals and fiancees do seem like a problem, and you should take care of it, but I think that being away for a while really is the best idea." Gray told him.  
  
"Why do you say that?" said an utterly shocked Ranma.  
  
"Because it will give you time to think things through. If you do love her, and she loves you, then your time apart won't matter in the long run. You'll also be able to think of ways to make the relationship work, and to solve your problems." Gray finished.  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes. "How do you know all this stuff? I mean, it makes sense, but I thought that only people with experience would know that kinda stuff."   
  
Gray grinned. "A fanfiction author is speaking through me." he replied.  
  
Ranma groaned. "Seriously though."  
  
"Just a lot of deep thinking, sensitivity, (which, no offense, you need more of.) and a healthy respect for women. You don't have to listen to my advice, but I'd recommend that you do." Gray responded, standing up to douse the campfire. "How was dinner? Was the Rabbit good?"  
  
"It was great!" Ranma said enthusiastically. "You're pretty good at cooking Gray."  
  
"Not as good as you. Well, good night Ranma."  
  
"Good night Gray." Ranma stared at his companion, who was snuggling into a sleeping bag, and leaving his friend with much to think about.  
  
Especially the fact that he and Gray were becoming inseperable. True, he hadn't many friends in Nerima, but he could safely say that Gray was a person that he truly liked to be and to do things with, like a best friend. He could safely talk to him, they had interesting conversations, they liked to do a lot of the same things, and Gray could make him laugh, something that he almost never did.  
  
Was that what he was becoming? Ranma's best friend?   
  
And that was even before the love advice began to sink in...  
  
*******************  
  
The two weeks passed in a blur, with training, talking, eating, bathing, and occasionally playing with Gray's Game boy and Walkman. Ranma later discovered that Gray's morning beverage was not coffee, as he had guessed, but a soft drink called Dr. Pepper.  
  
Ranma had decided then and there that he was going to ask Gray to be a permanent traveling companion. It just wouldn't be the same without him, and Ranma began to see the kind of friendship that his pop and Mr. Tendo had formed, though he and Gray weren't united because of a three hundred year old pervert.   
  
The training had been completed, and Gray now knew almost every move in the anything-goes style. However, he had refused to learn the Chestnut fist, Umi-Sen-ken, Moko Takabisha or Hiyruu Shoten Haa. Gray had told him that since they were due to part soon, (Ranma didn't notice he said this very sadly.) Ranma's special techniques were special to him, and had no place in a novice's arsenal. Ranma tried to convince Gray that he was no novice, especially after the harrowing sparring matches they had undergone, but Gray seemed convinced that it was for the best.  
  
Zakaroth was due to arrive that morning, and Gray was supposed to meet him at around ten. Gray would then leave, and the two would have their fight. Gray's watch beeped, startling Ranma out of his thoughts.  
  
"Well, I guess it's time. Zakaroth will be here in about twenty minutes. I know our time was short lived, but I just want you to know that I loved every minute of it." Gray suddenly grew misty eyed. "I wish you well Ranma, wherever your life takes you. Good bye, my friend." he walked off, then began to run into the forest.  
  
"Gray wait!" Ranma protested, running after him. Alas, Gray had vanished and there was no trace of him. Ranma walked sadly back to the campsite. His first real friend, and he had botched it! 'Way to go Saotome.' he thought mournfully.  
  
A few minutes later, a cloaked figure appeared at the camp. "I take it you are the one who wishes to fight me." the figure said. It was a statement, not a question.  
  
"Indeed." Ranma got up, determined to let off some stress. "Before we begin though, I'd like to thank you for saving my life that night in the bar."  
  
"What are you talking about? I've never seen you before in my life!" the figure proclaimed. He then took off the cloak, and revealed what lay beneath.  
  
"I am Zakaroth, king of the Dragon thieves. You have extended a formal challenge to me, and I intend to carry it out. Let us begin human!" he shouted.  
  
As Zakaroth made his proclamation, Ranma began to see the being behind the cloak for the first time. Zakaroth had waist length black hair, styled in a long wave. He wore a black gi and white pants, with a Katana blade firmly enrenched in a sheath near Zakaroth's waist. He was also fairly tall.  
  
However, what surprised Ranma the most, and what backed up Zakaroth's claim to be a Dragon came from the eyes. They were pure blood red, evil and malicious. Put simply, they were terrifying, and chilled Ranma's soul in a way that the soul of ice never could. Zakaroth also had out ten claws extending from his fingertips, not overly long but definently sharp, and two glistening fangs. There was something about his body though, that was so familiar...  
  
Ranma had no time to think though, as Zakaroth immediately sprang into action. He tried swinging one of his enormous claws at Ranma, so fast that Ranma barely dodged it. Zakaroth continued to use his claws, swiping and thrusting at the pigtailed martial artist. Eventually, Zakaroth attempted to send a claw thrust to one of Ranma's legs, but it missed and Zakaroth was slowed by his hand being stuck firmly in the ground. This allowed Ranma to leap up and perform a devastating side kick to Zakaroth's head. Quickly, Zakaroth grabbed Ranma's leg and began to swing him like a baton, throwing him into a nearby rock as Ranma let loose a Moko Takabisha that hit Zakaroth in the stomach, sending him into a boulder as well.   
  
The two got up, staring daggers at each other, but at the same time both grinned in a satisfied sort of way. Zakaroth then charged Ranma once again, looking much like a savage animal out for the kill. Ranma dodged at the last second, got behind Zakaroth and shouted, "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Thousands of blows rained upon Zakaroth, leaving him bruised and battered. However, once the attack had finished, Zakaroth lept up and used both feet to firmly kick Ranma in the stomach. Ranma staggered backwards coughing up blood, and Zakaroth finished his erstaz backflip. Taking advantage of Ranma's moment of weakness, Zakaroth channeled his ki and shouted, "NEGA DRAGON FIREBALL!". This caused a ki ball in Zakaroth's palm to grow into a small black ball of flames, which Zakaroth threw at Ranma with all of his might.  
  
Ranma jumped up just as the fireball hit his postition, which made a pillar of black flame that spiraled in all directions. It devastated all nearby life, doing things such as making trees wither away and die, or crumbling rocks into dust. Ranma once again kicked at Zakaroth, but Zakaroth chose to block the attack this time around. Ranma landed and aimed a at punch at Zakaroth's head, this one landing and causing a bruise to appear on his right eye. Zakaroth returned the favor by viciously slashing Ranma's arm, leaving an open wound which bled freely, and made Ranma yell out in pain. Ranma sprang back into action, eagerly awaiting the next attack.  
  
Both of them threw a punch, and both collided. Then they tried attack with the other fist, but those collided as well. The fists opened into palms, and both pushed with all of their strength, neither backing down. Then, Zakaroth tried a kick, but Ranma countered with a foot that collided with the other. Finally, Ranma gained some leverage and lept both of them into mid air, where he tried a mid-air kick. Zakaroth countered with his last foot, and the two bounced off of each other, each landing a kick to the head, sending the recievers flying into two different trees simultaneously. They got back up again, taking stances. Ranma, with an arrogant smirk, motioned for Zakaroth to continue.  
  
The fight continued for some time, although no special attacks were used. Neither fighter seemed to be able to generate enough power to use ki, and it looked at though the two were evenly matched, breathing heavily as they realized that they had finally been given a true challenge.  
  
"I must say... Saotome. I'm... impressed." Zakaroth coughed out. "Never have..I...met a figher... of your..caliber."  
  
"Thanks. You're quite good yourself." Ranma moaned. "But I'm gonna win this fight!" Ranma said, suddenly thinking of Gray, and how disappointed he would be if his sensei lost. This seemed to give Ranma the strength to begin a final desperation attack.  
  
"SHIN..." he began waving with his arms, wincing at the pain the slashed arm took, but going on nonetheless. "MOKO..." Zakaroth looked on in shock, and began to run towards him with claws stretched out. Alas, it was too late, as Ranma finished the attack. "TAKABISHA!"   
  
An enormous white ball of ki energy sailed out of Ranma's arms, enveloping Zakaroth, and the force was so powerful that it knocked Ranma back and made Zakaroth literally fly off for a second until he slammed into a tree, slumping to the ground unconscious. The force in turn, had accidentally knocked the tree straight to the ground.  
  
Ranma was determined to make sure his opponent was alive, but the effort of dragging himself to Zakaroth's landing spot was almost too much to bear. Finally, he reached the very tree that had fallen, but it was not Zakaroth that met his eyes, slumped on the ground.  
  
"Gray?" he stared in shock  
  
**************************  
  
Ranma dragged what he thought was Gray back up to the campsite. 'Gray. How could it have been Gray?' he thought.  
  
Thinking back, it did sort of make sense. Gray hadn't really explained where he had gotten all of his strength, never talked about his past, and defended Zakaroth. The only thing that kept Ranma from throwing his body into the lake was the friendship he had thought they had developed. 'He had better have a damn good explanation for this.' Ranma thought hopefully.  
  
He took out the first aid kit he had kept in his pack for ten years, (His pop had never healed him, or allowed him to be healed with. Thus, Ranma's body adjusted accordingly.) hoping that it would still work. Luckily, it was full, and Ranma began to bandage up Gray's battered body, as well as the cut Ranma himself had sustained on his arm.  
  
A few hours later, Gray/Zakaroth was still conked out, and Ranma had begun to heat up some canned food from his pack. Soon, the smell of cooking food wafted over the horizon, and Gray slowly began to stir. He opened an eye, laughed weakly and coughed. "We've got to stop meeting like this." he rasped out.  
  
"I assume you have an explanation for this." Ranma looked at Gray's still form balefully. Gray turned his head away in shame. "Yeah, I suppose I do owe you one of those."  
  
"To be honest," Gray sat up. "Zakaroth didn't think you would win."  
  
Ranma raised his eyebrow. "I thought you were Zakaroth." he said.  
  
Gray grew somber. "No. He and I merely share the same body, in a mutual curse."  
  
Ranma's eyes widened in surprise. "A curse? Gray, have you ever been to the Cursed springs of Jusenkyo?" he questioned.  
  
"The what? No, it's a long story. One that begins ten years ago." Gray replied.  
  
Ranma shrugged. "I've got time."  
  
Gray sighed. "All right. Ranma, I haven't been very forthcoming towards my past with you, and I apologize." he took a sip of his trusty thermos to clear the raspiness. "Ah, much better. Well, anyway, as you may have guessed, I'm not Japanese. I do speak the language well, but English is the language I speak primarily."  
  
"So?" Ranma said impatiently.  
  
"I come from Canada, in an ancient village that is not on any map, called... well, I never learned what it was called because they never told me. When I was around seven years old, I accepted a foolish dare from some older boys. They wanted me to 'prove I was a man' by going up to a cave that was deemed sacred, taking a picture of the inside. The villagers believed that a terrible monster lived in the cave, and would destroy the village if one of the villagers would defile it's 'sacred ground.' They were half right." Gray said, pausing to let this sink in.  
  
Gray continued. "Zakaroth IS actually a real dragon. Or at least he used to be. You see, Zakaroth was once the leader of five dragons which pilfered more than their fare share of Dragon gold, jewels, diamonds and other treasures. Dragons usually live on an alternate plane of reality than humans, but that doesn't mean that they can't come here. They disguise themselves by shapeshifting, or becoming invisible. You hear about the people that disappear, never to return? Usually, they discover a dragon's existence, and pay the price."  
  
Gray sighed. "Soon, however, Zakaroth's men began to become dissatisfied with his leadership. They tried to defeat him, but he was simply too powerful. So, they called upon his greatest enemy to aid them, and with his power they had seemingly killed him. Or so the people thought."   
  
"Zakaroth hadn't died. It takes an enormous power to kill a very old and powerful dragon such as he. Instead, the five merely stripped him of him immortality, (a few dragons do have that.) and was imprisoned in the very cave that I came to. By that time, age was catching up with him and he was about to die."  
  
Gray's face grew pensive. "Somehow, when I came to his lair, I alone was able to break the seal that the five dragons had made on his cave, purely by accident. Neither Zakaroth nor myself has any idea of how it happened. One thing I can be certain though, is that it was no coincidence."  
  
Ranma interrupted. "I'm guessing that you have a special power, sleeping within you. Akane has the same potential, just in a different way."  
  
"You really think so, don't you? Well, when I came to Zakaroth's cave, I was astonished. Not frightened in the least was I, for I could see that what was to me a beautiful creature was dying. I hugged him, determined to show him one last aspect of compassion. That was a mistake."  
  
Gray laughed mirthlessly. "It turns out that all dragons have the ability to implant their souls into other living creatures human or animal. The catch to this, is that the dragon in question has to be touching, or be touched by the creature it wishes to posses. Zakaroth was dying, and the only chance he had to get back at his enemies was with me. Usually, when a dragon possesed an animal, it remained in control of the body. However, a human/dragon fusion had never been attempted before. Zakaroth took a gamble, and he put his soul in my body."  
  
"So, I guess you mean there are two souls in your body. The one speaking to me right now is Gray, my friend and confidant. The other was Zakaroth, king of dragon thieves and powerful fighter. Am I right?" Ranma asked.  
  
"So you believe me?" Gray sighed with relief.  
  
"Yeah. So, you got a Dragon stuck in your head, right?" Ranma said.  
  
" Not only that, but this new fusion had changes that not even Zakaroth could have forseen. I grew claws and fangs, as you have seen, as well as horns. They are all retractable, and have served me well. My strength and speed increased exponentially, and I gained increased senses, but this all came at the cost of my home. I was banished from the village, believed to have been cursed, and the villagers feared that I would curse them in return. My own parents carried out the ceremony, and I could never come home again." Gray let a tear slide down from his cheek.  
  
"Is there any way to reverse this affliction?" Ranma said concerned.  
  
"Only one. Once we have found and killed Zakaroth's former men, and their leader, he shall be greatful to me, and will go on to the afterlife. That is what the sword is for. It will trap the souls of five dead dragons, adding their power to the wielder. Zakaroth will take it to hell, to show that he is still the best there is." Gray paused.  
  
"So, then, why do you steal so much?" Ranma wondered  
  
" Mostly to satisfy his cravings. Have you forgotten our earlier talk Ranma? What is stealing from those whom do not deserve excess wealth? Zakaroth and I made a deal. I keep control of this body, and in return have to do what he wishes of me, like stealing or having bar fights-"  
  
"So it was YOU who saved me!" Ranma exclaimed.  
  
"Yes. I have comitted what society deems to be sins, but I have never truly hurt anyone." Gray hesitated. "I've gone and said my bit now. I'll understand if you want nothing to do with me." Gray started sobbing.  
  
"But Gray, I want everything to do with you!" Ranma said comfortingly.  
  
"What?" Gray said confused. "But all of the other friends I've tried to make think of me as a freak!"  
  
"Gray, considering where I come from, your condition would fit right in. Besides, your not the only one with a curse." Ranma said sympathetically.  
  
"What do you mean?" Gray said hesitantly.  
  
"Well, I've been cursed as well..." Ranma began, telling Gray the story of the pools of sorrow, Jusenkyo.  
  
Gray interrupted. "So, which of these pools did you fall into?"  
  
Ranma flinched, then said, "Why don't you see for yourself?"  
  
Ranma walked toward the lake, taking a bowl and filling it full of water. He used the soul of ice techinque for a second, then splashed the water over himself.  
  
"I fell into the 'Nyannichuan'." a very wet red head answered. "The spring of Drowned Girl."  
  
A long silence passed, in which Gray only gaped. Then, after a little while, he snorted, and eventually went into full blown laughter. Ranma grew sour at this, but after a little while, began to laugh as well.  
  
"I..I..I'm sorry Ranma." Gray choked out. "But I can just imagine the trouble you would get into with this."  
  
Ranma smiled. "Gray, before we do anything else, I want to ask you something. Would you give me the honor of being my traveling companion on this training trip?" she asked desperately.  
  
Gray's eyes widened in surprise. "You do know that I have to steal things, right?"  
  
"That doesn't matter to me. It's the other soul within you that desires treasure, not you, and I'm going to help you find a way to get him out." Ranma said warmly.  
  
"Well...gee! Thank you so much!" Gray smiled. "I'd love to come with you Ranma! It'll give me a chance to see the world."  
  
Ranma clasped Gray's hand firmly in his. "So, I guess we're stuck together?"  
  
Gray smiled. "It certainly looks that way."  
  
So, Ranma Saotome and Gray Dragon found each other, proving that not only does every person have a soul mate, but they also have one true friend.  
  
*************************************  
  
A/N: Well, I hope you liked this chapter. If you want to know, I added Gray because frankly, I think Ranma really needed a friend. Ukyo seemed like it at first, but I think that little scene at the failed wedding proved that she wasn't as much a friend as he had thought. Not to mention the fact that she isn't here now. Also, Ranma needs a sparring partner, and even though I love him, I don't write a very good Ryoga. Ranma needs someone who sympathizes with him, and makes a good contrast. Gray is both, because he is cursed as well, and is a martial artist. You'll see that they make a good team, Ranma being the more powerful of the two, Gray making plans and using his brains.  
  
Does anyone know what the real basics of anything goes style consists of? In the Manga, Ranma says it's Karate, but in the Anime he says it's Kenpo. So, which is it? Really?  
  
Haven't decided on the next chapter's content. I have a lot of ideas, from a gang of demons to the two coming to Hinata house (the setting of Love Hina.) to starting a battle with one of Zakaroth's former men.  
  
Please review as much as possible. A big thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially the one person who suggested I rewrtie chapter two. I'll get to it soon.  
  
Oh, almost forgot! Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi, and Viz has the publishing rights. I do not own it, nor do I own Dr. Pepper, a drink of the Coca-Cola company. (Right?) However, I am proud to say that Gray Dragon and Zakaroth are owned by myself, and death to anyone who copies them! 'Kay, Bye! 


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